Government takes management of the Port and promises work for 2014

Almost scrapped through lack of infrastructure investments over several years, the passenger terminal of the Port of Manaus may be subjected to an external refurbishment to prepare the city for the 2014 FIFA World Cup™.

This last Friday (8 April), the Federal Government announced that, from now on, they shall be the new manager of the Port, which has been in the hands of private enterprise for more than ten years.

Without mentioning prices, the Superintendent of Ports and Waterways of the Amazon River, Sabá Reis, said that there is a project of the Ministry for Transport to give the Port of Manaus the conditions as necessary to meet the demand which shall be generated through the World Cup.

The commission responsible for the transition process took over on Friday with the aim of collecting all structural needs within a period of 90 days, as well as carrying out an inventory of the assets, the document file and also the contracts as signed.

Mr. Reis has also said that the project shall include the refurbishment of the Modern Port of Manaus, which receives a large part of the vessels coming from the interior of the State of Amazonas and also from neighboring states.

Impasse
One of the big problems which have been faced up to now, for the refurbishment and expansion of the Port of Manaus was the impasse between the State Government and the company which took over the Port in 2000.

Ever since the announcement that the capital of Amazonas would be a venue for the 2014 FIFA World Cup™, there was a doubt about who would pay for the expansion and improvements to the city’s Port, which receives some 50 transatlantic liners during the international tourism season.

In the season which started in the middle of March, already 10 ships have passed by, each transporting more than 200 tourists, which shows the tourist potential of the capital of Amazonas.

The projects of the State Government include the use of ships as hotels during the World Cup. Another aim is to expand the cruise season in the region and also carry out a comprehensive refurbishment of the terminal and also the mooring point, which are almost abandoned, with a structure that is far from ideal for the tourists coming to Manaus along the Amazon River.